


New Year's Resolutions

by impish_nature



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Gen, New Year's Eve, New Year's Resolutions, Reconciliation, hug it out for god sake you two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-10 13:19:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5587168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impish_nature/pseuds/impish_nature
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first New Year’s Eve after Ford comes back from the portal.</p>
<p>(Sorry bad summary - Just something fluffy that I wanted to write. Happy new year everyone!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Year's Resolutions

“Ford, where are you going?”

Ford stopped, his finger poised over the vending machines code buttons. His eyebrow rose at the hesitant tone in his brother’s voice, used to the brash grumbles that Stan had no trouble voicing on a daily basis. ‘No creatures on the kitchen table, no passing out from exhaustion, make sure to eat some breakfast’. Everything and anything that Ford still found annoying and endearing all at the same time since they’d gotten back on better terms. They’d never really sat down and spoken about everything that had happened but they’d started to at least understand one another since the apocalypse had ended.

It was funny really, how much easier it was to accept one another’s company when they weren’t focussing on the past.

That and Mabel had found out he’d threatened to throw Stan out. Her face had said it all when he’d told her it was true, he hadn’t thought it was that wrong a demand at the time. What she had shouted at him had thrown everything into a very new light, especially when he turned to Dipper to help him and found betrayal on his face instead.

He’d then found out Stan was already packing his bags and suddenly realised that deep down he didn’t want him to vanish again, Mabel’s words stinging through the walls he’d built up around himself.

It had been more than awkward the first few weeks after the kids had left for home. Stan had been overtly helpful where he could be, overtly worried and jumpy whenever Ford seemed annoyed with him. At first Ford had worried there was something there he hadn’t noticed before, a tell-tale sign to memories that he wasn’t privy to. Something Stan had hidden from the kids and therefore everyone else by omission but then he realised that it wasn’t that at all.

Stan was afraid of _Ford_. Afraid that he would abandon him again. That if he put a toe out of line then he’d find himself out on the street once more, Mabel’s arguments be damned.

Ford didn’t know what to do with the information once it wormed its way into his head. So he just kept quiet. Tried to smile more and snap less. Maybe even spent some time with him instead of acting like he was a hindrance and found himself actually having fun once in a while. Just enough for his brother to relax around him again.

So it was weird after months when they had been comfortable alone with one another that Stan’s voice had that cautious edge to it again.

“To the basement…like I usually do every day?”

Stan stared at him for a few moments before looking away, hands fidgeting suddenly as the smile on his face slipped into something a lot sadder. “Do you know what day it is?” His voice was hopeful, like Ford had just forgotten and he shouldn’t be as disappointed as he felt.

“No.” Ford didn’t like the scrutiny Stan had placed on him and yet suddenly it’s absence was worse. What had he forgotten? He ran everything through his mind, it wasn’t a birthday or an anniversary. Christmas had passed, they’d spent the days leading up to it trying to find presents for the kids and vetoing each other’s ideas on how to get the gifts to them. “Why?”

“You-It’s New Year’s Eve, Ford.” Stan laughed, shaking his head, his whole body relaxing at Ford’s admission, obviously glad it had been forgotten and not disregarded.

“Oh, is that all?” Ford turned back to the vending machine, missing Stan’s face dropping again, the laughter dying suddenly. “Years pass, it happens, I mean we’re both old enough to know that. Why celebrate that? I’ve really got some important work to do, Stan. Maybe if I get time I’ll come up later.”

“Ford, wait-”

And with that he was gone before Stan could say another word. The arguments dying on his tongue as his shoulders slumped and he went back upstairs without another word.

 

* * *

 

The incessant knocking got to Ford in the end.

“For the love of- Stan! Can’t you hear that?!” Ford stomped out of the vending machine door, the elevator reverberating with the cracking sound as he slammed it behind him. “If you can’t, we really need to change that hearing aid of yours.” He grumbled under his breath. The knocking on the door refused to stop for anything and he was starting to regret the speaker he’d put down in his labs all those years ago that alerted him of a visitor. His front camera seemed to have been repurposed by Stan for whatever bizarre reason and the thought of opening the door to an unknown person slightly unnerved him. Stan normally dealt with anyone who came round, not him. He glared at his own hand that was resting on the still vibrating front door. “Bet you’ve taken it out on purpose, stupid old-” The door swung open as his grumbles at Stan took his mind away from his old paranoia and a sudden recognisable high pitched squeal grabbed his attention.

“Grunkle Ford!”

“Mabel!” Ford crouched down to her level, a wide grin spreading across his face as he hugged her. “And Dipper! What are you two doing here?”

“Grunkle Stan invited us.” Dipper pointed behind them at their parents unpacking the car. “We’re having a New Year’s party, didn’t he tell you?”

“No, no he didn’t.” Ford frowned, eyebrows furrowing at the thought.

“It was a surprise, Dipper!” Mabel nudged her twin, rolling her eyes as if it was obvious. “He told us not to say anything on the phone, remember?”

“I thought he’d have said something about having people round tonight though!” Dipper shrugged, kicking at the floor. “I mean he has invited a lot of other people.”

“He might have tried to earlier today actually.” Ford smiled sheepishly. “He reminded me it was New Year’s Eve as I went down to the lab.”

“You didn’t spend the day with Grunkle Stan?”

Ford sat back a bit, his eyebrows furrowing further as Mabel and Dipper shared a glance, obviously having a swift silent conversation. His mind went back to Stan’s disappointed expression earlier that day, wondering what it was he was missing. “No…why is it so important? I spent far too many on the other side of the portal to feel the need to celebrate it.” He glanced up at the ceiling, wondering where Stan was if he’d been expecting guests. “Does Stan do this every year?”

“No, he hates New Year’s.”

Ford froze, his mind finally starting to catch up as he looked down at the young twins who stared back at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Wait, what?”

“Grunkle Ford.” Mabel put a hand on his knee as if she was explaining something to a small child, it was mildly disconcerting to the old man how mature she sounded in that moment. “Mum was super surprised as well. Grunkle Stan never made an effort to see anyone, always said he’d never have a party up here so we never saw him around this time of year. But this year is the first time we’re all getting together, can you think of anything that’s changed?”

“Oh god.”

“Yeah, he seemed super excited to spend it with his brother this year.” Dipper gave him a small exasperated kick, an obvious nudge to get him up and moving.

“I blew him off this morning.” Ford stood up, his face an open book of horror. “The first year I’m back home and I didn’t see the point of celebrating.”

“Yeah, you’re a big dumb nerd.” Mabel shooed him away with her hands. “We’ll start decorating down here, go get Grunkle Stan ready to party!”

Ford found himself taking the stairs two at a time in his haste before he found himself outside of Stan’s bedroom door, arm raised.

He came to a sudden crashing halt, his mind overthinking every possibility.

Would it be weird to act so differently now? Would Stan think he was faking it?

He crushed the thoughts with a gulp, knowing that it was better to do something than nothing at all. He gave the door a hesitant tap. “Stan?” He tapped harder. “Stan, you in there?”

“J-Just a second!”

Ford drew away from the door, not sure what to make of that. His voice had sounded wrong but he couldn’t place his finger on what exactly was off about it. Before he had a chance to mull it over though Stan seemed to propel himself out the room. “Stan, this party tonight-”

“Are the kids here already? You shouldn’t even know about the party yet. They weren’t meant to be here for another hour!” Stan laughed loudly but it sounded off key to Ford’s ears even if Stan’s face seemed bright and cheerful as he shimmied passed Ford to get to the stairs. “I need to go get supplies for the party-goers. I’ll be back soon.”

“Stan, wait-”

Ford couldn’t help but find it ironic that their roles had been reversed earlier and just like that time, Ford was now left staring at the empty air Stan had been occupying as he vanished out of the door and into his car. Ford would have been impressed at the speed his brother had just managed if he wasn’t feeling dejected and worried that he might have missed his chance entirely.

He sighed, leaning against the wall next to the stairs, his head thudding back against the wood when something caught his eye.

Stan had left his door open, Ford’s eyes naturally gravitating towards the unfamiliar view until he spotted the black leather book sitting on his bed. He took a step forward before glancing back at the stairs. He knew he shouldn’t worry, Stan had only just left but a growing feeling of anticipation and guilt was starting to sit in his stomach as he passed the threshold. He knew he shouldn’t but at the same time the curiosity was too much as he found his arm outstretched towards the now very obvious journal.

What did Stan write about in a book that he thought no one else would see?

The guilt reared its ugly head then as he picked it up. _He wasn’t meant to see this._ He took a moment to think about it logically. Stan had gotten the book out, had most likely written in it after he had left him alone this morning. That meant logically Stan had written about him this morning.

So, he was allowed to know what Stan really thought of him, right?

He gave a nod to his own thoughts, opening the first page of the journal before the other side of his brain could argue with his conclusion. There was a lot of scribblings, random sentences as if he’d tried to start but run out of steam before he could get anywhere. Other pages had half written calculations and large diagrams of differing parts of what Ford guessed on closer scrutiny must be the portal. It was quite a few pages in when the journal actually started in earnest.

_Just realised it’s New Year’s Eve. It’s been weeks since Sixer fell through the portal. I’ve been trying to figure it out but so far I’m coming across more questions than answers. Ford seemed to think writing these things down helped so I’m going to try that and write the questions I have down from now on so I can keep going back to them when trying to find solutions._

_New Year’s resolution – I’ll bring you back before the end of the year, safe and sound bro, just wait for me._

Ford swallowed, his throat suddenly feeling parched. That was it for the first entry but it seemed to have set the ball in motion. There were no dates on any of the pages, just more quick sentences and sketchy diagrams, a page or two if he’d found something interesting or made a breakthrough. And then every so often there’d be another new page, another reference to New Year. Some of them were shakily written, the ink blurred, his wording showing how close he was to giving up. Others were thick lined and sharp, the pen going through the page every so often in his anger.

Only a small few ever seemed optimistic and hopeful.

But every one of those pages ended in the same way.

_New Year’s resolution – Bring Ford home._

_This year will be the year! I can feel it. I’m getting you bro, just a little longer._

_Fix the portal, get him home._

Ford glanced up at the time, his shoulders feeling tight with the anxiety that Stan might come back at any moment but he’d only been in here a few minutes. He wondered about taking the journal downstairs where he’d have more time to hide it but if Stan noticed it missing then he knew he’d be in even more trouble. He went back to it with greater fervour, eager to finish and get out before someone found him. He knew he should just read the last page but it was intriguing to see how his brother had handled the portal without two of his journals.

_Found a few broken parts today when I opened up a panel on the portal. They look similar to some of my car parts. I’ll swap them over in the morning._

Ford snorted at the diagrams that came with that passage. As much as they were in essence the same as the car’s parts they were much more sophisticated. The portal would never run on the items Stan was describing. He shook his head endearingly, flicking to the next page.

_It worked! The portals sparking to life! I can’t believe it._

_I’m so close, Ford. Just sit tight._

Ford blinked at the page for a second, flicking forward. There were tonnes of pages left in the book, there might not be a date but it was obvious from the state of the pages that it was from years ago. As much as he was surprised the parts had done anything at all in his machine, he couldn’t help but turn quickly to the next page to find out the conclusion. What had gone wrong to stop it from working if he’d gotten to that point? If it had sparked to life, the portal should have opened.

_NOTE TO SELF – don’t do that again. If anyone is reading this disregard the last two or three pages. I’m only leaving them in so you know not to try that. I repeat, don’t replace the parts!_

_The portal seemed to be opening but it didn’t have the same colours as the first time. Thought pulling the lever might do something but instead the whole thing blew up in my face._

_At least I’m getting good at looking after burns now._

Ford closed his eyes for a second, his mind’s eye setting the scene for him even as he tried to push it away. A part of him was proud that Stan had been inventive in his own ways, trying to solve a puzzle far advanced for his abilities, but another part felt nauseous at him getting injured trying to get him back. A small trickle of the nausea was the memory of singed flesh and an echoing scream that had jolted him out of his rage all those years ago. He never had gotten the chance to check Stan’s burn back then, Stan’s own anger multiplying with the fire spreading down his back. He shook it all off, flicking to the last page quickly. He hadn’t come up here to think on the past, he wanted to know what he needed to do today to make the day better, to celebrate with his brother.

His breath caught in his throat as he scanned the latest page.

He dropped the book like it scalded him, not even watching it fall haphazardly back onto the bed. He knew he should put it back as he found it but he couldn’t force himself to touch it again, instead fleeing downstairs, hoping to help with the decorating and cast his mind to better things.

_New Year’s resolution – The hard part now. Get Sixer back._

 

* * *

 

Irritation bubbled up under Ford’s skin but he crushed it down, keeping a smile on his face as he made small talk with the people around him. He’d spent most of the party trying to shuffle his way closer to Stan but he always seemed to find something or someone more interesting to talk to before he got there or just up and vanish before he could get a word with him. It wasn’t that he wasn’t having fun- he hadn’t actually thought he would but he couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face at the whole affair. Stan had put on a good show, Mabel was brightening up the dance floor in her own special way with her friends and even Dipper seemed to have lightened up enough to not be stutteringly trying to win over Wendy, even if that had been endearing in its own way. It was also surprisingly easy to listen to the people who had been invited as well. Now that there was no-one wiping memories they all seemed to have stories to tell that he filed away for later research notes, genuinely asking questions and intrigued by the goings on in Gravity Falls that had happened without him noticing.

But even so he had yet to catch Stan alone for one moment of this entire party. How was he supposed to be enjoying it and celebrating it with him if he couldn’t get close to him?

Ford’s eyes lit up as he watched Stan gesture to whoever he was talking to that he was going outside for a breather. He glanced around, slipping through the house so that Stan wouldn’t see he was being followed as he made his escape. He lost sight of Stan for a moment, worried he’d gotten it wrong for a second when silence met his endeavours before Stan came back into view and gave a stretch, cracking his back with a slight groan. He gave him a few moments alone after he had made his exit before following, his mind now drawing a blank as to what to actually say to him. He opened the door quietly, watching Stan’s back as he stood, seemingly contemplating the stars softly in a small moment of peace.

A floorboard creaked under Ford’s weight, breaking the moment.

“Only me.” Ford raised a hand, a small smile on his face as Stan jumped from his spot. He tried not to let it add to his nerves when Stan didn’t seem relieved by the notion. He ignored it, sitting down on the sofa, tapping the seat next to him in the hopes his brother would sit down. He accepted the drink he threw over a moment later, relaxing slightly at the notion. “Need some air?”

“It was getting a bit hot in there, yeah.” Stan muttered, twisting the can in his hands restlessly.

“It’s nice though. Much more fun than I thought it would be.” Ford took a sip, glancing over at his brother whose jaw had gone slightly slack. “What? You know I’m not a party-goer, never really have been.”

“You’re having fun?”

The words were hushed, like he was waiting for Ford to glare at him, to be sarcastic and tell him off. Ford frowned at the thought. “Of course! Best New Year’s I’ve had in a long time. Though I guess that’s not really saying much.” He winced, rubbing the back of his head until Stan’s genuine laughter relaxed his tight muscles again.

“Yeah, god the last…40 have not been great.” Stan gave a sad smile before turning to his brother, punching his arm. “Jeez, Ford, you kept trying to cut through the crowd towards me and you weren’t exactly smiling. I thought you were angry with me!”

“What? I just wanted to spend some time with you on New Year’s Eve!”

“I thought you were going to tell me to turn the music down or something so you could get on with your nerd stuff.” Stan teased still grinning before his face shifted, his eyes narrowing suspiciously as he made the connection that something was off kilter about this whole scenario. “Wait, why the change of heart? You didn’t see the point of celebrating this morning.”

“Uhh…the kids made me realise why you wanted to celebrate?”

Stan’s eyes seemed to narrow further. “You’ve never been a very good liar, Sixer. You’re not telling me the whole truth.”

Ford fidgeted, his face guilty as the words tumbled out. No use hiding it really, it would make Stan angrier if he found out later when he saw the book instead of finding out from the source. “I may have found your journal.” The silence that met his confession ate away at him until he had to turn around to his brother, worried about what he’d see when he did but needing to see nonetheless. “I’m sorry, it was lying there and I couldn’t help it-”

“Ford.” Stan stopped the tirade, an eyebrow raised in disbelief. “I’m pretty sure we’ve done a lot worse to one another in the past. I’m not gonna like, hit you or something for reading that old piece of junk. I mean I got the portal working in the end, that book was just notes about that mostly, none of it matters now.”

“Of course it matters, you put a lot of work into that.” Ford gave his brother a playful shove, hating the self-depreciating tone he had taken. “And anyway, the last page wasn’t about the portal.” Ford felt Stan lock up beside him, his hands dropping awkwardly back to his sides as he sat further away again in response. “So I thought I’d make the effort, you keep trying not to step out of line with me but that’s because I’m not trying hard enough. So now it’s my turn.” He carried on quickly as Stan opened his mouth, the objections obvious on his lips. “And what do you know? I come out of my dark little _nerd cave_ and I actually had a lot of fun tonight. Would have been more fun if I had got a chance to be stupid with my brother again though like I had planned.”

Stan blinked at him a few times, his mouth opening and closing as if he didn’t quite know how to rebuke any of that. He smiled after a moment, his eyes crinkling up with mischief. “Oh, the night’s still young, Sixer and we have kids to mess with tonight.” He jumped up, hand outstretched for Ford’s as he opened his mouth, obviously already coming up with ideas for the pranks they could pull. A scream from inside the house stopped them both in their tracks though. The music suddenly hushed, the sound of a bell echoing out to them where they sat before the party poppers started in earnest, and a ringing shout of the same three words reverberated from every mouth.

“Huh, well there we are.” Stan stood up straight, staring into the middle distance as he smiled. “Happy New Year. Let’s hope this one’s less eventful.”

“I’ll drink to that.”

They stood in companionable silence for a few long moments, letting the joyful noise from inside wash over them.

Ford clapped Stan on the back, gesturing for them both to go inside and join in. Stan’s mind seemed to click back into action, a suspicious grin on his face that Ford felt should worry him but instead made him feel like a child again, mischievous and willing to help out with whatever scheme Stan had concocted.

“Hey, Stan?”

“Yeah?”

“I think you need to come up with a new New Year’s resolution.’

**Author's Note:**

> AN: I wanted to write something about Ford being back but...not being back like Stan hoped he would be. That's all.
> 
> Bit early I know but I thought everyone might be busy tomorrow ^^ 
> 
> Happy New Year!!!


End file.
